Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

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Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by bogglez »

Have you guys seen this 3D Sonic fan game yet?
It's not a complete game, more of an experiment about an alternative take on a 3D Sonic game.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5paaz16Nw20

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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by mankrip »

Awesome. It looks like a Sonic Robo Blast 2 remake in Nintendo's visual style.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by Specially Cork »

I wish Sega had responded to Mario 64 with something like this. 10 emeralds in each stage or whatever.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by |darc| »

This looks cool as fuck
It's thinking...
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by bogglez »

I think the movement certainly feels right. What I wonder about is how to turn this into a proper game.
Quests/missions? Non-linear races?
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by Eviltaco64X »

Looks good!
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by mankrip »

bogglez wrote:I think the movement certainly feels right. What I wonder about is how to turn this into a proper game.
Quests/missions? Non-linear races?
Sega licensing, and money.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by bogglez »

I'm only talking about game design, not practically. Currently this is just a tech demo and not fun anymore after a couple minutes
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by cube_b3 »

Sonic 06 offered vast open worldish style stages.
I remember I got lost in Desert Ruins. It was also due to the bad camera that I started running in the wrong direction but something about being lost and running into an invisible wall felt nice.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by Specially Cork »

cube_b3 wrote:Sonic 06 offered vast open worldish style stages.
I remember I got lost in Desert Ruins. It was also due to the bad camera that I started running in the wrong direction but something about being lost and running into an invisible wall felt nice.
I swear you played a different game to me. I remember Dusty Desert in Sonic 06 if that's what you meant? Sonic had a boss and a standard 3D linear Sonic stage, and Silver and Shadow pissed about in a linear temple? There was nothing remotely open world at all...

I guess you could have deliberately strayed off the path and hit an invisible wall like you said but you'd have only managed that by stubbonly refusing to go where the game is pushing you.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by cube_b3 »

Dusty Ruins right... It wasn't intentional initially. I genuinely got lost as the camera confused me and the levels were so HUGE. Note I just jumped into Sonic 06 after Sonic Adventure 2. I didn't play any of the Jax and Daxter games or other anthropomorphic platforms. Wait... I played Shadow the hedgehog too.

Also on my endearingly bizarre experience you could use the weird light blue crystal gem to access Shadow/Silver areas of the levels for a completely off the rails experience. So the whole Sonic Utopia/Green Hill Paradise-ish experience can be extracted out of Sonic 06.

Also also the levels were all layered with numerous alternate routes so you can't call them linear. Painfully linear invisible walls were introduced Unleashed onwards. After 06 Unleashed and even Generations felt like playing Crash Bandicoot games due to their constricted invisible wall always forward moving levels. Just look at this:


Just watch like 30 seconds. The invisible walls on the side were due to hardware limitations as I have seen in recent documentaries. There were dozens of tricks utilize to render Crash on such restrictive hardware. As a kid I was just bothered that I couldn't jump over the tiny concrete fence.

Enter Sonic Adventure just watch like 30 seconds:

The environments are noticeably HUGE in contrast to Crash's tiny spaces. But the level design is kinda similar. But specifically the 20 -25 second mark. On the bridge, Sonic could jump over the boundary wall and explore the litte sand area beneath the bridge. Technically in that stage there are no invisible walls. Just the part where the water is deep. You can still jump over and drown. There is even a section in the starting where you can jump all the way to the end of the stage.


I am obviously not confusing this with open world. But Unleashed/Colors/Generations really were steps back in my opinion.


Look at this hideousness. I am not saying they weren't fun but it was stupid. It totally reminded me of Crash Bandicoot. I also hated that Sonic could magically boost on a rail. That made no sense and it was intentional. More stupidity you could walk into enemies and you wouldn't get hurt. That was intentional.

Now let's swing back to Sonic 06.

It's essentially an inferior remake of Emerald Coast. But you can take dozens of different routes. I also want to mention Tails and Knuckles. While they have dedicated level segments in 06. In Adventure 1 you could totally use them to explore Sonic levels in an open world capacity. Specifically with Knuckles.

I don't blame Sega all that much for the regression of the Sonic franchise. It was fans clamoring for more Rush style games. So 06 holds a special place for me. I look at it with the same fondness Saturn fans look at Sonic X-treme. I am just fortunate enough to have played my incomplete, pre-alpha Sonic game. It just sucks that everyone else bought it thinking of it as a quality game.

In conclusion, Green Hill is what I want but the fan made tech demo doesn't offer as much as 06. Even the fucking rail running segments offer more freedom than the later Sonic games. I know this is more of a denouncement of the more recent Sonic games than it says anything about Sonic Paradise.


Lastly, today is Sonic 06's 10th anniversary.
https://www.facebook.com/Sonic/photos/a ... =3&theater

Read the comments apparently I am not the only one who managed to enjoy the game.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by melancholy »

Wait, I'm confused. Is this the same guy that made Green Hill Paradise: Act 2? Or did two entirely different people make two extremely similar fangames back-to-back? Because I played the hell out of the Green Hill Paradise demo, but this game looks like a pretty major step backwards from that.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by cube_b3 »

Two entirely different people make two extremely similar fangames back-to-back
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by Specially Cork »

I always thought the Knuckles stages in Sonic Adventure were the worst part.

And out of all the games you showed in that post, Crash Bandicoot 3 is clearly the best one. :P

It's interesting that you praise Sonic 06 for having multiple routes though...because don't you knock the Genesis games? One thing that makes them stand out above most other 16 bit platformers is the multiple routes through most zones - sometimes for huge parts of a level.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by cube_b3 »

Yeah.... I don't know anyone who likes the Knuckles stages. My point was just that they offered exploration and open feel.

Your Crash Bandicoot point is probably what reinforces Sonic teams decision about invisible walls. Although they fail to realize that Naughty dog added those walls because of hardware restrictions. Personally I enjoyed Sonic Adventure 2 more than the Crash Bandicoot games for one thing I was able to finish it and almost unlock Green Hill Zone (I gave up and downloaded a save file cause of those Knuckles stages and Chao world crap). I've never seen the true ending of any Crash game. I tried really hard for CB3 but still couldn't do those stages after the 1st ending. Maybe one day.

I knock the old Sonic games because they are 2D. Not because of their level design. I have always stated the Sonic speed platforming experience is better suited for 3D. Running left to right just doesn't have the same sense of speed 3D offers. Simple.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by mankrip »

I have always stated the Sonic speed platforming experience is better suited for 3D. Running left to right just doesn't have the same sense of speed 3D offers.
The vast majority of classic Sonic gameplay is about momentum, not speed.
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Re: Sonic Utopia, a free-roaming 3D sonic experiment

Post by grand »

played it when it first came out and it's a very refreshing take on sonic. other fan games imitate the 3d sonic gameplay we come to know, but utopia builds 3d sonic from scratch. would love to see this turn into a complete game but that's asking too much :(
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